Ferial Haffajee
Top names in television journalism have been linked to the new channel e.tv, which is still without a news executive after its the first incumbent and his deputy were sacked in internal battles.
This week news veteran Allister Sparks and former Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA)councillor John Matisonn were named as contenders. Sparks said that he had heard the rumour but denied being approached. Matisonn would not comment.
It is understood that e.tv wants to appoint a black candidate to head a team which is currently led by Jimi Matthews, its Johannesburg bureau chief. Sarah Crowe, the former head of current affairs at the SABC, has reportedly also been approached to fill a top job at e.tv.
e.tv broadcast its first news bulletin last Sunday night – 48 days later than it should have.
In February it will face a quasi- judicial inquiry by the Broadcasting Monitoring and Complaints Commission which will be chaired by former judge Jules Browde.
Browde will probe IBA findings which suggest that e.tv is in violation of its licence conditions on several counts. Among these are the delayed news broadcasts, a dearth of local content, few children’s programmes and little programming in any language except English.
The channel, a showpiece empowerment exercise, has been beset by problems on its board where the two major shareholders have been at loggerheads. Mediators have been brought in to sort out the conflict between holding company Vula and Hosken Consolidated Investment.
This week the deadlocked board chair, Nomazizi Mtshotshisa (from Vula) and her ponytailed deputy, Marcel Golding (from Hosken) were at pains to kiss and make up at a media conference to announce e.tv’s 24-hour schedule which begins on February 1. The two huddled convivially, but insiders say that relations are still “very tense”.
In the power battle, one side wants a less glitzy, more home-grown channel while reports suggest that Vula has not yet been able to come up with the money to pay for its shares in the company.
Much of the start-up bill,which runs into many millions of rands, is being footed by Hosken – a trade union holding company worth about R3-billion.
Ultimately the new channel will sink or swim on its ability to attract advertising. e.tv’s Claire O’Neil said they have attracted an average 5% of the advertising available for television on a limited schedule. Its audience ratings, as measured by the industry standard, have ranged between 1,7 and 3,5. These ratings are low but on target.
Chris Maloney of Media Initiative Africa said adverse publicity about e.tv has “taken the sheen off [the new channel]. But as long as it delivers audience, the IBA can do all it likes.”
Most advertising agencies approached were supportive of the new channel because it has delivered on its audience targets.
Brad Aigler of Net#Work said, “Advertising’s coming in slowly, but e.tv will definitely be an important role in the broadcast industry.”
He added that some advertisers were jumping in with bookings, while others would “stay away until the dust settles”. He also said the news would attract a different type of advertiser.